8.11.2010

And the Cool Parents Award goes to...

US! Or it will in another 5 weeks or so. A couple of days ago DH pulled the trigger on this:

I think the sample in the photo shows it with mountain bike wheels. Ours will have the larger and slimmer (and faster) 700cc road wheels. But that is roughly the color we ordered. A while back we were talking about ordering this tandem and DS wanted that color and turquoise handlebar tape.

We were thisclose to ordering it maybe a month ago...then within the span of a week BOTH of our cars threw check engine lights (we suspect they are in kahootz to keep bikes from displacing them...and, seriously...if DH didn't have a 30 minute commute each way we would be a 1 car family, for certain). DH's car needed new brakes and an O2 sensor. Mine ended up with a new gas cap, but within a week or so of replacing that it's triggering a new and somewhat different CEL--something related to the evaporation/fuel-fill area. Screw it. In a few months it will be due for its 60k mile service, so we're waiting until then to dump anymore money into either of our cars.

That bike will be so sweet. The plan is that DH will always ride captain (front), since the bike will be too large for me to ride up front (this is the downside of having nearly a foot difference in height between us), but that telescopic rear seat can accommodate riders from 3'6" - 6'2". So most of the time Dane will ride on the back and I will ride my bike, solo. The boys will KICK my butt on downhills, for certain. But it sure will be nice to be able to go do 30-40 mile rides as a family and not have to find childcare.

Last night I had no mojo and didn't feel social, so I skipped the usual 30 mile women's group ride and did a ride by myself. It was really nice. I didn't have to keep up with the fast group paceline or poke along with the slow. I went my own pace and enjoyed the setting sun and sound of crickets.

Today was warm and muggy. I managed a 4 mile run--and lost 2#s of fluids in the process. I arrived back home feeling like someone had dumped a quart of water on me, but it was my own sweat. After I cooled-off and changed into cycling clothes I went out for a nice 25 miles on my bike. Now I am ready to zonk-out. I'm really ready for some cooler, less-humid Fall weather. This steamy weather pattern of late has really started to wear on me.

5 comments:

It is a little scary...though our current tandem is a cheap POS tank of a mountain bike. That thing is just plain scary. I will likely not ride too often on the back simply because I am a control freak and my hubby is like a wall of man--can't seen anything around him. :p

That is so awesome that your mom does not let lack of sight slow her down. RAGBRAI would still be really amazing even without sight, I'm sure. I've heard it's miles of wall-to-wall people and food and music.

Has she done off-road with the mountain bike, then? She is much braver than I.

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